Having been on many dive trips to tropical islands I found the dive resort aspect of this book to give me all the good feels. I could feel the warm sunshine, along with the high humidity, see the palm trees, and taste the salty water while waiting for divers to load up the dive boat with their gear to head out to the reef. I liked the island vibe and the group of permanents as they felt like a good family. But don't let all of this fool you as there are sinister things happening on this island, and plenty of drama (but not too much as to drag the plot down). The story is told in two alternating POVs from Cass and Brooke. This keeps the reader guessing who the killer could be, and I admit I changed my mind a few times before figuring it out. Still, that ending surprised the heck out of me. Well done, Sara Ochs! Congratulations on your debut novel.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ALC in exchange for my honest review. The two narrators did a good with Cass and Brooke.

This was a fun read. While none of the characters were particularly likeable to me, it worked for the who-dun-it part of the book. I loved the atmospheric setting, and really enjoyed the build up until the end. Loved this thriller, and so happy I got to listen to the audiobook. The narrarator was fabulous.

3.5 stars

This book took me a solid 5 or so chapters to get into but once I did, it was a roller coaster of “who done it”. So many twists with a shocking plot ending. While I did have my suspicions, the way Ochs wrote the story, I had all but given up on my theory when bam! It was an unexpected ending that made me wonder if there will ever be a part 2?

The story is set on a beautiful Thai island, Koh Sang, featuring a mix of ex-pats who call themselves the “permanents” when Brooke, an influencer, arrives on the island trying to solve a suspicious death.

It was a mysterious and thrilling story that I think would have been better to read rather than listen to the narration. Two points of critique. First, when told from a dual perspective, the voices need to be distinct. I found myself going, “wait, is this Cass or Brooke?” Second, the accents in this story were so off. Brooke is supposed to be hiding her Kentucky accent but she pronounces some words so weird, I couldn’t figure out what accent it was. The words that drove me absolutely bonkers was her pronounciation of anything or everything to “anuhthin” or “evrahthin”. All that to say, the narration was a distraction from the story.

Typically, I prefer when all the details are explained as the story unfolds, piecing bits and pieces come together to explain how the story got there, but there was something about the way this story unfolded and the characters tried to explain all the details. It was so much detail but yet still didn’t make sense at times. While it’s possible that this was intentional, it left me going “wait, what? Am I missing something here?”

All that to say, if you’re looking for a murder mystery with a shocking plot twist - this is your book!

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the advanced audio copy.

I loved this book! The narrators, Miranda Raison, Dakota Blue Richards, Joe Jameson, Pema Monaghan, really brought this book to life. I love a good audiobook that is narrated by multiple people. The Resort's narration did not disappoint. It was so easy to follow the various characters.

There was a lot going on in this book, but not in a way where you were lost or confused. The plot was executed in such a clever way, that you were left guessing the whole way through. There were twists and turns galore, some small and some really big ones. I enjoyed the pace of this story. There was no way I would've guessed the major twist. No way AT ALL! The Resort is gripping, action packed, and such a wild ride!

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for this ALC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I appreciate the copy. This book was intriguing and did keep me hooked but there were quite a few plot details that I was pretty bothered by in a metoo kind and of way. I also don’t think the final twist worked for me because I didn’t feel like I knew that character enough for it to be a shock.
Other than that it was a quick listen and did keep me listening

Quite enjoyed this audio book it started off slow but then the pace picked up
Koh Sang Resort sounds like the ideal place to live but then a body is found and then who can you trust
lots of twists and turns just what I like in a book and it kept you dangling until the end
Thank you, NetGalley and RB Media, Recorded Books for this copy!

Dead bodies start turning up one by one on a remote Thai island, and even though things are deemed to be unfortunate accidents, it's quickly obvious that's not the case. After two acquaintances join together to solve the mystery, they turn on each other as clues begin to paint them both in a negative light. An engaging thriller set in a lush tropical location will keep the reader guessing right up to the vengeful end.

*Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.**

"The Resort" by Sara Ochs is a moderately engaging novel that unfolds in the intriguing backdrop of a resort setting. While Ochs demonstrates a commendable ability to capture the ambiance of the locale, the characters and plot lack the depth needed to fully captivate the reader. The storyline follows familiar tropes, making it somewhat predictable for those well-versed in the genre. Ochs' writing style is accessible, but it doesn't elevate the narrative to a more compelling level. Despite these criticisms, "The Resort" provides a light and entertaining read, suitable for those seeking a relaxing escape, earning it a middle-of-the-road three-star rating.

The Resort is a multi-POV thriller set at a remote luxury resort in Thailand. Cass is a scuba instructor who enjoys her life working and living in this beautiful area famous for parties and exclusive events. When one of her students is found dead, she is sure that something is amiss. And Cass is keeping a big secret.

The strengths of this story are the beautiful descriptions of the unique island setting. I loved the details about the close proximity of coral reefs and the scuba segments seemed impressive and well researched. I found the characters interesting enough, but I did not connect or relate to any of the young cast.

As a technical point, I think I would have enjoyed this more as a physical read. The audiobook is voiced primarily by two female narrators who sounded fair to similar for me to effectively tell them apart. It was helpful that each chapter had a narrator heading.

Pick this up if you want the vibes of a summer escape gone wrong with secrets and the mixed up dynamics of working class employees and the elite wealthy.

🎧Song Pairing: Kokomo - The Beach Boys

💭What I thought would happen:

Hello murder in the heat with beautiful views and unlimited drinks 🤪

📖What actually happens:

Cass - has been hiding out on a teeny tiny resort island in Thailand for an awhile now. She’s made friends, she’s engaged and no one knows what she was running from.

Brooke - an Insta travel influencer taking advantage of the discount given to her during her stay. When a murder occurs x2 she is determined to solve whodunnit.

🗯Thoughts/sassy musings:

It went like this >> intrigue, boredom, feminist rage, intrigue again, then taken aback 😂 read into that what you will

Give me a tropical, isolated island thriller and I’ll sit pretty waiting for my treat 💁🏼‍♀️

Pick this up if you like:
😱Being blindsided
🤿Snorkelling
✌🏻Influencer MCs
🖤Dark pasts

HOLY BUCKETS! That ending totally blindsided me!

This book was SO good. Right from the start it sucked me in and kept me wanting to keep listening. It's told from several POVs, which kept me guessing because everyone's view and story was just a little different and added to the overall underlying mystery - more than one unreliable narrator = major win!!

With thriller, suspense, and mystery vibes, this was such an awesome book - and that ending... just WOW. This debut entrance by Sara Ochs has me wanting more from her!! Maybe even a sequel to this one?

Definitely a five-star listen. The narration was great and I devoured this in under 24 hours. So good!!!

First of all, this cover is chefs kiss. Second of all, I loved this audiobook so much, I bought the physical copy to have. I thought this book was so unique, interesting, and the twist had my jaw on the floor. This book gave me so much more than I went in expecting to get and I was thrilled about that. I gotta give one more shoutout for the twists!

As a certified SCUBA diver I found the dive talk and scenes fascinating and also eerie as parts are every diver's worst nightmare. The suspense in the story is paced gradually and I loved the slow build till the big twist. The characters are a bit confusing till later in the book, but that added to the aura of mystery for me. The audiobook is a great way to enjoy this thriller and the narrators are fantastic. A dream vacation in a beautiful location gone very very wrong.

Locked door mystery on an island, when a couple of tourists and locals turn up dead everyone is pointing fingers at each other. People don't just move to an island without leaving something in the real world behind.

This one was fun, nothing too exciting and nothing too boring about this one. I always like a locked door and its fun to throw one on an island. I would say the crimes weren't that complex and it was more of an along-the-ride thriller than it was a guess the plot. Since I lean more fun plots especially when its locked room this wasn't my favourite. I enjoyed it enough though!

The beginning was interesting it was kind of a little bit confusing but it was great that the action starts right away.
Loved the relationships but at the end it was kind of sad because I love romance in books but with the ending no one is happy.
Also I don't think we are told why everyone does everything, I mean in the epilogue we kind of solve things but the twist didn't surprise me or was that interesting.
Something I loved was that because I had the audiobook we had so many different voices for the characters which made it feel like a movie.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for this book.

2.5 stars. It started out enjoyable, a mystery set in an exotic vacation resort. However it quickly became very predictable who the culprits were of the murders and a little far fetched. I want to be surprised on who-did-it and the surprise factor just wasn’t there. The narrators’ voices for the two female characters were also very similar to me and it made it confusing to keep up with who’s POV it was.

Cass wants to start her life over and hide from her past. As she's starting to live a new familiar life routine, her past starts to creep up beside her until she can no longer do anything but face it.

When I first started to listen to this audiobook I was overwhelmed with the amount of characters introduced. The beginning starts very slow, but once I got into the story I became invested.

The twists and turns that happen leave you on the tips of your toes and when you think you have it figured out another twist hits you in the face. Even when the story all gets played out the epilogue throws you so far you have no idea what just hit you.

I really enjoyed the short chapters and that it swapped POVs between 2 characters. I also appreciated that since I enjoyed this via audiobook, the POV voices were different.

Thank you to Netgalley, Sara Ochs, and the publishers for this free audiobook. This review is 100% my own and honest opinion.

It was hard to keep up with the different points of view, however, the story is interesting. It is for sure a slower mystery but it was enjoyable.

One of my most anticipated books so far this year. Perhaps I set my expectations a bit too high?💁🏻‍♀️

A South Pacific resort. Blue skies, sandy beaches and all the scuba diving you could want. Where guests and staff come to escape their past and start anew.

But there is a darker side to this beach. When one of the guests is murdered everyone begins suspecting their “new friends.” Secrets are about to be uncovered.

This book failed to pull me in as much as I had hoped. By the end, as mysteries were revealed, it all seemed a bit too far-fetched for this reader.

The audio provided a delightfully large cast of narrators but the two main female voices were far too similar. The only way I could tell the two apart was one was louder than the other. Which required me to turn my volume up and down depending on which narrator was talking. That became rather annoying (and distracting.) quickly!

Maybe This was one of those instances where reading the book may have given me a better experience over the audio?💁🏻‍♀️

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media.🎧

The Koh Sang resort in Thailand is well off the beaten path. Some might say it’s a great place if you are looking to find yourself/reinvent yourself, to get a fresh start, but for others it’s a great place to lose yourself, to hide from your past. And that is exactly what Cass is doing, but the past has a way of catching up with everyone, eventually. And even in the middle paradise there is still danger around every corner. Told from alternating POVs, Sara Ocho’s The Resort is a slow burn thriller. Loved the exotic location, the interesting cast of character, and the well developed plot (no spoilers but it has quite a big twist toward the end). Could have moved a bit quicker at some points, but overall a satisfying journey. This audiobook features multiple narrators, all of who did a fine job bringing the story to life. I’d like to thank RB Media and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to listen to and review an advanced audio recording of The Resort.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R3TZ8KO2SQMUBD/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv